A cokpobatiomt



T. J. HAYES.

BOBBIN CASE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3,1916.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

\nvn'for. Thomas J. Hu} es byimd-mu M A'ltys.

UNITED STATES PATENTAOFFICE.

THOMAS J. HAYES, OF ROSLIN'DALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ARBETTERTELLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMAINE.

Specification 01. Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.'

Application filed July 8, 1916. Serial No. 107,251.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. HAYES, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Roslindale, county of Suffolk, State of-Massachus'etts, haveinvented an Improvement in Bobbin-Cases for Sewing-Machines, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing,is a.

specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in bobbin cases for sewinmachines in which the loops of needle t read are cast around the'bobbinby a rotary or oscillating loop taker to form a locked stitch, and is designed particularly, but not restrictively, for use in a blind stitchsewing machine comprising a curved oscillating. needle and complementarystitch forming mechanism located above the work support.

The general object of this invention is to provide a simplified form ofbobbin case adapted to be more quickly assembled, to be more easilythreaded, and which will be more efficient in operation than thoseheretofore produced.

The usual form of bobbin case comprises two separate members, one ofwhich is retained within the hook, and the other member removabl securedthereto by a spring actuated latc pivotally mounted upon a central studin the member w 'ch is retained in the hook and passes centrally throu hthe removable member. In such case t e latch engages the outer surfaceof the removable member and necessarily presents an undesirableprojection.

In case the hook is positioned to revolve upon an axis locatedsubstantially normal to a tangent to the path of the needle at the looptaking point as is illustrated in the joint ap lication of Ilayes &Moulton No. 94986, in recess opens ownwardly so that it is di cult tosee whether the latch is in open position to receive the bobbincase andthe operator will frequently attempt forcibly to thrust the bobbin overan improperli positioned latch, thereby causing a like] 00d of injury tothe bobbm' case lockin mechanism or to the bobbin itself, or by ockinthe bobbin out of the hand, causing loss 0 time.

One of the ob'ects of the'present inven- 65 tion is to provi e a bobbincase for a roed May 2 1916, the bobbin receivhollow member of the bobbincase, and which may be assembled without careful attention of theoperator. Bymeans of the present invention the undesirable projection ofthe bobbin latch beyond the surface of the bobbin case is also obviated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bobbin case with alocking mechanism which will normally tend to press tightly together thesections of the bobbin so that proper relation of the parts will beinsured and rattling prevented.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a, bobbincase with a tension device, so constructed and located that it may bethreaded by drawing the thread from the bobbin into suitable guldingrooves or slots without the necessity o threadin the end of the threadthrough eyes having continuous walls, as is necessar. in usual forms ofbobbin cases.

'l liis is accomplished in the-present embodiment of the invention bysecuring the tension device toan axial adjustable stud or screw, thetension device being provided with an extension adaptedto press thethread against the surface of the bobbin case. The bobbin case andtension device areprovided with suitable grooves and slots which enablethe thread to be drawn directly from the bobbin into the tension deviceand thereafter serve to guide the runnin J thread during the operationof the mac e. Other objects and features of the invention will morefully a pear from the following description and the accompanyindrawings, and will be particularly pointed out inthe' annexed claims.

lnthe'drawingsz' Figure 1 is an elevation of a rotary or oscillatoryloop taker containing a bobbin case embodying a preferred forn rof myinvention. 5 Y r X Fig.2 is a top plan view, and

3' a bottom plan view, of the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical axial sectional view pmg member.

case with an inclosed bobbin perspective view of the grip- A A preferredembodiment of my inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawing assupported by a revolving'loop taker or hook 1 mounted upon a hook shaft2 and provided with a loop engaging beak 3. The wall of the interior ofthe hook is provided with the usual annular groove 1 to receive asupporting rib on the bobbin case which is locked therein by a usualform of latch 5 pivoted at one end on a, pin 6 and secured at its otherend to the heel of the hook by a screw 7 The bobbin case, which ismounted within the rotary loop taker or hook 1, comprises two hollowcomplementary casing members adapted when assembled to inclose a bobbin.The base member 8 is provided with an annular flange 9 which is seatedwith a running fit, in the groove 41 in the hook 1. It is also providedwith a central cylindrical stud 10, which serves as a spindle for thebobbin, and also is provided with gripping means adapted to engage acooperating instrumentality upon or secured to the inner face of thecomplementary bobbin casing member or cap. This preferred form ofgripping means illustrated herein comprises a sleeve 11 secured to thestud 10 by a pin 12 and having its end portion slotted longitudinallyand inturned to form resilient grippers or claws 13 adapted to engage anundercut, preferably conoidal stud 14: projecting from theinner face thecomplementary casing member or cap "15. The stud 14 desirably is formedwith reversely arranged conoidal surfaces 16 and 17 the former acting tospread the claws 13 when the cap member 15 is thrust into position, andthe latter to furnish the undercut surface to be engaged by the inturnedends of the grippers. By reason of this construction the resilientgrippers tend always to draw the casing members tightly together, thusinsuring proper relation of the parts and preventing rattling. When abobbin is to be put in it is only necessary to drop it into the capportion 15 and thrust the latter into place, using only such force aswill cause the grippers 13 to pass over the stud 14. When the bobbin isto be removed the cap may be easily detached by pressure of the thumb ona suitable shoulder 15 in the wall of the cap 15.

It will be understood that the locking device disclosed herein isillustrative merely and not restrictive and that my invention includesbroadly any form of locking means lnclosed within the casing members.

The base member 8 of the casing is provided with the usual extension 18,which seats in a corresponding recess or cut away portion of the wall ofthe cap member and also has a recess 20 forming a path for the end ofthe curved oscillating needle.

The extension 18 has a laterally extending arm 19 adapted to' seatloosely in a recess in the presser foot or some other stationary memberof the machine to prevent rotation of the bobbin case" and to ermit theloop of needle thread to be carried around it by the loop taker. The arm19 in the construction illustrated herein is much longer than is usualin machines of this type and preferably extends substantially to thecircumferential path of the beak of the hook and substantially to theplane in which the end of said beak rotates so that the thread carriedby the hook engages the arm 19 at a maximum distance from the center ofthe bobbin case and by reason of the greater leverage will pass morereadily under said arm. By thus extending the arm 19 substantially tothe path of the beak of the hook the bobbin thread is held out of thepath of the hook when it makes its idle revolution even though thetension, if working improperly should leave slack thread which otherwisewould loop up into the path of the hook.

In the usual bobbin cases for rotary and oscillating loop takersheretofore constructed the external central locking device for thecasing members has necessitated the placing of the tension device forthe bobbin thread upon the cylindrical side of the bobbin case. y Insuch constructions at least two screws were required, one for securingthe tension member to the bobbin case and the other for regulating theamount of tension. In the present construction the single screw servesboth to secure the tension applied to the bobbin case and to providemeans for adjusting the tension applied to impose more or less tensionupon the bobbin thread.

In prior constructions the thread has been lead through one or moreholes in the wall of the bobbin case to the tension device which wasprovided with means for imposing fricmost instantly by an unskilledoperator, by I merely drawing the thread from the bobbin into guidingslots leading to the tension device. In the preferred constructionillustrated herein the tension device comprises a resilient plate 21preferably having a circular portion seated in a corresponding re-.

member 15 of the bobbin case. The tension plate 21 may be adjustablysecured to the case by a screw 23 extending through the plate 21 and cap15 into the central locking cess 22 concentric with the axis of the capstud 14. By this construction a smglej e to secure the tension device tothe casing and to provide for its adjustment.

The tension plate 21 is provided at one end with an inwardly extendinglug and at its other end, which preferably is diametrically oppositesaid 1 with an extension 25 adapted to press t e thread, which is ledbeneath the same, against the wall of the bobbin case member 15.

The extension 25 preferably has laterally extending wings provided withthread slots 26 and 27, said extension and wing lymg in a continuationof the recess 22 so that the exterior of the bobbin casing presents anexternally smooth surface except for the end 2'5 of the extension 25which projects slightly away from the casing to facllitate the threadingof the tension device.

The wall of the cap portion of the bobbin casing is provided with a slot28 which extends from its edge obliquely a short distance and terminatespreferably in an enlarged circular eye 29. A thread guiding groove orslot 30 cut in, but not through, the cylindrical wall of the cap member15 leads from the eye to the slot 26 in one of the Wings of the tensiondevice and together with the latter serves to guide the thread properlybeneath the extension 25 of the tension plate.

In order to thread the bobbin case and its tension device therefore itis only necessary to draw the free end of the thread into the slot 28and beneath the projecting end 25 of the tension plate whereupon it willbe automatically directed into the groove 30 and slot 26, emerging frombeneath the extension 25 at the inner endor eye of the slot 27 so thatthe entire threading operation may be accomplished by a single sweepingmovement of the hand of the operator. By reason of this constructionmuch time is saved in threading the machine and proper threading insuredeven by an unskilled operator. 4

While the construction herein disclosed is a preferred embodiment of myinvention I desire it to be understood that it is not restrictive andthat various modifications may be made within the meaning and scope ofthe following claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bobbin case for sewing machines having a hollow rotating loop takerprovided with an annular raceway, comprising complementary hollowcylindrical base and cap members of equal diameter adapted whenassembled to form a closed cylindrical chamber for a bobbin, a flange onsaid base member adapted to enter the raceway in said loop taker andlocking means located entirely within said base and cap members forholding said members together, whereby the exterior of the bobbin casewill present throughout a smooth surface for the passage of the loop.

2. A bobbin case for sewing machines having a hollow rotating loop takerprovided with an annular raceway, comprising complementary hollowcylindrical base and cap members of equal diameter adapted whenassembled to form a closed cylindrical chamber for a bobbin, a flange onsaid base mem ber adapted to enter the raceway, in said loop taker andlocking means located entirely within said base and cap members forholding said members together comprising resilient means operatingnormally to draw the abutting peripheries of said bobbin case memberstightly together whereby dust will be excluded from the bobbin chamberand rattling prevented.

3. A bobbin case for sewing machines having a hollow rotating loop takerprovided with an annular raceway comprising hollow cylindricalcomplementary base and cap members of equal diameter adapted whenassembled to form a closed cylindrical chamber for a bobbin, a flange onsaid base member adapted to enter the raceway in said loop taker, one ofsaid complementary members havin a central stud forming a spindle forthe ho bin and provided with resilient gripping means and the othercomplementary member having centrally disposed means adapted to beengaged by said gripping means to lock the casing members together, saidlocking means being inclosed wholly within said casing members.

4. A bobbin case for sewing machines having a hollow rotating loop takerprovided with an annular raceway comprising hollow cylindricalcomplementary base and cap members of equal diameter adapted whenassembled to form a closed cylindrical chamber for a bobbin, a flange onsaid base member adapted to enter the raceway in said loop taker, one ofsaid casing members having a central stud provided with resilientgripplng jaws and the other casing member aving an internally projectingconoidal stud provided with an undercut beveled portion adapted to beembraced by said gripping jaws, whereby sai d gripping jaws operate todraw the abutting peripheral walls of the casing members tightlytogether.

5. A bobbin case for sewing machines comprising two hollow complementarymembers constituting a base member and a cap member adapted to inclose abobbin, means for locking said members together, a resili- III enttension plate secured by a screw axially to said cap member and havingat one side of said screw a projection engaging said cap and upon theopposite side a slotted extension adapted to engage the thread and pressthe same against the cap member, and thread guidin slots leading fromthe interior of said b0 bin case to the thread engaging end of thetension device.

6. A bobbin case for sewing machines comprising hollow complementarybase and cap members adapted to inclose a bobbin, the base member beingprovided with a central stud, a sleeve secured to said stud havin aninturned end longitudinally split to cum resilient gripping members, thecap member.

having a central conoidal stud adapted to be engaged byl said 'grippmgmembers projectin centra y from its interior.

l A bobbin case for sewing machines comprising hollow complementary baseand cap members adapted to inclose a bobbin, the base member beingprovided with a central stud, a sleeve secured to said stud having aninturned end longitudinally split to form gripping members, the capmember having a central conoidal stud adapted to be engaged by saidgripping members and an exterior tension device, and a screw extendingthrough the tension device into the stud in the cap and adjustable tovary the tension imposed upon the bobbin thread.

8. A bobbin case for sewing machines employing a rotary loop takercomprising hollow complementary base and cap members adapted to inclosea bobbin, one of said members being provided with an arm extendingsubstantially to the plane and the path in which the end of the beak ofthe loop taker travels adapted to cooperate with a stationary member toretain the bobbin case from rotation and to prevent improper catchin ofthe bobbin thread by the beak of the cop taker.

. 9. A bobbin case for sewing machines employing a rotary loop taker,comprising hollow complementary base and cap members adapted to inclosea bobbin, the base member being provided with an extension adapted toform part of the wall of the cap memher, said extension having an armextending substantially to the plane and the path in which the end ofthe beak of the loo tionary member to retain the bobbin case fromrotation and to prevent improper.

catching of the bobbin thread by the beak of the loop taker.

10. A bobbin case for sewing machines comprising two hollowcomplementary members constltuting a basemember and a cap memberadaptedto inclose a bobbin, means taker travels and adapted to cooperatewit a sta-.

